


Calm After the Storm

by amethyst-noir (Arbonne)



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo Collection [23]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Banter, Cloak of Levitation (Marvel), Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Gentle Kissing, M/M, Nightmares, Recovery, Tenderness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:40:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25090999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arbonne/pseuds/amethyst-noir
Summary: "Just relax and try to go back to sleep.""You just told me to wake up," Stephen grumbled while pressing his face against Tony's side. Soothing twilight, yes, but still too bright for his taste right now. "Can you please make up your mind?"(Tony attempts to soothe Stephen back to sleep after a nightmare.)
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo Collection [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1325981
Comments: 12
Kudos: 146
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo, IronStrange Bingo 2020





	Calm After the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Another one of the rest prompts. The second to last one, to be exact. Just like the title (stolen from the Common Linnets song of the same name) promises it's a calm little vignette featuring the usual: A hurt Stephen, a protective and worried Tony (and Cloak) and lots of cuddling. I still claim it as a fill for my BTHB card because why not? (I want to finish that thing in this century.)
> 
> @badthingshappenbingo: _Nightmares_  
>  @ironstrangebingo: _Vigil_
>
>> **_cloud._ ** _waking up and being soothed back to sleep._

"Come on, sweetheart, open those gorgeous eyes of yours and look at me. It's okay. You're here, with me. You're safe. Wake up, baby, please."

At first there was only Tony's voice. It took a while before the words themselves filtered through and even longer before Stephen managed to do as he was asked.

He opened his eyes with a groan, already dreading the light that was going to assault them, but blinked in pleased surprise when there was pleasant twilight.

"There you are. Hey." Tony smiled at him and, despite the worry behind it, it was the most beautiful thing Stephen had ever seen.

"Hey," he murmured back; his voice rough and even deeper than usual.

"Shh, don't," Tony told him. "Just relax and try to go back to sleep."

"You just told me to wake up," Stephen grumbled while pressing his face against Tony's side. Soothing twilight, yes, but still too bright for his taste right now. "Can you please make up your mind?"

In answer, Tony's hand landed on the back of his neck and began to stroke him in an obvious attempt to soothe him back to sleep. "I want you asleep but without nightmares," he finally said and the helplessness and love in the words almost broke Stephen's heart. "I prefer you awake and grumbling at me instead of tossing and turning and hurting yourself by grabbing at things that aren't there."

Only now Stephen realized that his hands and fingers were held immobile the Cloak. "Oh," was his very intelligent and articulate response to that.

"Yeah. Oh," Tony repeated softly, still gently rubbing over the back of his neck.

Stephen raised his head to look up at Tony. "I'm sor…"

"Don't." Tony put his fingers over Stephen's mouth to stop the damning words. "Don't ever say that." The fingers vanished and were replaced by Tony's lips. The kiss was short, clearly meant to quieten him and nothing else. "Close your eyes and try to go back to sleep, sweetheart. You need it."

He really did, Stephen knew, no matter how much he hated that he still wasn't recovered from… No. He wasn't going to go there. The memory alone was enough to almost turn his stomach and he once again hid his face against Tony's shirt, hoping that the familiar and comforting smell of him might catch the threatening flashback before it could arrive. His fingers gave a warning tinge of pain but almost immediately there was a warm flash of magic as the Cloak tried to help in its own unique way.

"Shh, don't think about it. It's okay. We're all okay." Tony's hand was back between his shoulder-blades, pressing against his spine in an attempt to ground him.

Surprisingly, it worked.

"I've got you," Tony repeated and Stephen allowed the ever-present exhaustion to drag him back down. "You're safe now."

* * *

"Thanks for your help, Red," Tony said quietly after he was sure that Stephen had once again succumbed to sleep.

It nodded and drew itself back enough for Tony to be able to see the back of Stephen's hands. The scars stood out angrily - time to put more lotion on them as soon as Stephen was awake again.

"I've got you." The words had become his new mantra ever since he'd gotten his lover back from a bunch of insane wannabe conjurers and world enders who had wanted to sacrifice him to some nightmare entity. He leaned down and kissed Stephen's temple. "You're gonna be okay."

The damage done to Stephen's mind would heal, his strength would return, and the inevitable nightmares would dial themselves back down to the level they'd been before the abduction. Tony had to believe that because the alternative was unthinkable. The fear that one day it would become too much for Stephen to handle was a constant in Tony's life by now but he stubbornly refused to give in to it.

"Stop," Stephen mumbled, clearly not as asleep as Tony had believed him to be. "Stop worrying. It's over."

"Easier said than done." Tony pressed another kiss against Stephen's hair. "I'd love to stop, I really do, but somehow I managed to find a lover who delights in getting kidnapped right in front of my eyes, scaring me half to death along the way. Stop doing that and I'll try to stop worrying."

"Deal," Stephen said, sleepily blinking up at Tony. "No more being abducted? Check. I can do that. It's getting old anyway." He grinned up at Tony and Tony could do nothing else but grin back.

"Idiot," he accused fondly and held him just a little bit tighter.

"I'm very intelligent, in case you haven't noticed yet," Stephen corrected, dialing up his formal tone to eleven.

"Still an idiot," Tony diagnosed. "And since I'm a certified genius I know that for a fact."

Stephen was outright laughing by now and he moved back a little to have a better view of Tony. "Idiot genius maybe. Since I'm also a highly-trained doctor I'm qualified to diagnose that, too."

"As a highly-trained and very intelligent doctor you should know how important rest is for healing."

"Sleep is boring," was the mumbled answer but Stephen was already slipping away again; the little interaction costing him almost all of his strength.

Tony swallowed the threatening tears down and held him just that little bit tighter. "Not if you dream of me," he promised. Tomorrow he would take Stephen away to the lake house to recover in peace and quiet, far away from the busy city. "We've got plans for tomorrow, remember? I'd prefer you awake for at least part of the day."

"I see what I can do. Might have some time left in my busy schedule," Stephen promised.

"Yeah," Tony murmured back. "I'd love that. Sweet dreams, baby."

There was no verbal answer but the ghost of a smile on Stephen's face.

Tony took it as the victory it was and, together with the Cloak, continued his vigil.

**Author's Note:**

> First bingo on my Ironstrangebingo card! Fill #23 for the Bad Things Happen Bingo card! Things are moving along. A little bit slower than I'd like but at least they _are_ moving. I count it as a win.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading. 🤍
> 
> [@](https://amethyst-noir.tumblr.com/)


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